How Does Routine Improve Mental Health?

Your alarm goes off at the usual time, so you wake up and shuffle into the kitchen to make yourself a fresh pot of coffee. You let your dog out in the yard. You could do it all in your sleep if you had to.

Those daily routines might not seem like much, but they can have a big impact on your mental health. This blog post covers what you need to know about routines and mental health.

Routines Support Mental Health

Routines reduce the decisions you have to make each day. You don't have to ask yourself, "What do I do now?" You just do what you always have done. This helps with something called "decision fatigue," which is just a fancy way of saying making decisions is hard. Every decision takes focus, energy and weighing different options.

Routines cut through all of that and give your mind rest so that you can focus on feeling good and making positive progress on your goals.

Not All Routines Are Created Equal

Routines seem to work best when they are simple, clear and repeatable. Keep it simple and lean into healthy habits.

Here are a few routines that you can try:

• Consistent Sleep. Go to bed at the same time every night. Wake up at the same time each morning. This helps you get enough sleep and that, in turn, helps regulates your mood during the day.
• Eat Healthy Meals. Aim for whole fruits and vegetables. Avoid sugary, salty or overly-processed foods.
• Move Daily. Even if it is working in the garden or walking around your neighborhood, daily movement is a well-known tool for well-being. Stretching is helpful, too.
• Unwind Often. Make time to do things you enjoy. Read a good book, laugh with friends or take part in a hobby.

On the other hand, avoid anything too complicated or expensive. That might actually stress you out and end up negatively impacting your mental health.

Tips for Starting a New Routine

How do you turn a routine into a habit? You start small by choosing one simple routine you want to try. This is the opposite of trying to stack twenty routines at the same time. Also, you give yourself some grace because no one is perfect. You will probably miss a day or two. No big deal. Just start again tomorrow. As with most things, consistency comes with time and practice.

A good place to begin for a lot of people is a healthy sleep routine. Set a goal to go to bed and wake up on a schedule every day for a week. As a bonus, getting a good night's rest makes most other routines easier to tackle, too.

When to Reach Out for Help

As helpful as routines can be, they are no substitute for standard mental health treatment.

If you want help with starting healthy routines, reach out to your Baptist Health behavioral health provider. If you do not have a provider, you can find one on our provider directory.